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2010-2011 Macho Dancer Bar Reviews

TODAY, I am republishing the reviews my late friend Trog wrote of Metro Manila’s macho dancer bars from late 2010 to early 2011 in response to an e-mail from a blog supporter who enquired if I could reblog them because there were articles he missed and he wanted so much to read them. Although Trog instructed me to delete these articles, which I did so, I was surprised to discover soft copies of such reviews still existed. I thought about this e-mail request several times, and I have finally decided it might not offend the original author if I republished them.

I went over the four-year old reviews, Adonis, Apollo 14th and Big Papa articles in particular, parts of which posts, I discovered in late 2012, were plagiarized by a site called manilacitylifestyle.blogspot.com. I was taken aback by the action of the author of the latter blog because he did not show etiquette and simply reblogged the articles without the courtesy of giving credit to the author. I guess such deplorable action is an “online practice.”

As you go over the listing, you will notice that no reviews of the now defunct Men’s Court Avenida (Manila City) and Big Boys Bar (Pasig City) were included; this is because such reviews were never posted but were kept as draft materials. He and I both visited the two bars prior to his death and we made our own individual reviews.

Readers are advised that several of the strips bars included in this consolidated review are no longer in business. My own reviews of today’s dwindling number of Metro Manila-based macho dancer bars will be published soon.

Adonis, the most popular Metro Manila-based macho dancer bar, is on Timog Avenue in Quezon City.

The signature gold and pink signage of Adonis Macho Dancer Bar

These photographs, taken in September 2010, are properties of the Gonograd Resident. One online journal used these pictures without the courtesy of giving credit to the owner.

Written by thegonogradresidentOctober 28, 2010 at 4:08 pmPosted in Male Entertainment

CONSPICUOUSLY displayed above the covered walkway leading to the actual entrance door is the Adonis signage, which becomes brightly lit at night making it easier for the passersby and motorists alike to notice the popular establishment, which holds the distinction of being the most famous macho dancer bar in Metro Manila.

Two or three persons, behind a desk, man the entrance area with one of them performing the duty of frisking male guests before ushering them in. So-called regular patrons are exempted from the routine body check, an indication of management’s trust in them and, at the same time, of laxity (A friend, who once had a stint at this bar, says that there are dancers who bring in pistols or knives, which are used for self-protection and intimidating and terrorizing other dancers who pose a threat to them as far as getting “tabled” by guests is concerned. Clearly, bullying is a common practice amongst some Adonis performers).

Once inside, you immediately think you were duped because the interiors look unappealing, bare and dreary. Silhouettes of persons and furniture pieces, along with the stage performers, are the first you see at the same time that blasting music annoys you. In a few seconds, a waiter or a balding, diminutive sissy man comes up to you, greet you with that rehearsed faked grin, and tries to help you choose the “best strategic spot”, which you assume provides a really, good view of the stage. The petite man turns out to be one of several floor managers, those loquacious fairies whose job it is to sell guys like meat at the market. The moment he sits you at your chosen table or in your chosen area (sofa with a tiny table which is closer to the stage), he then introduces himself complete with his pseudonym and his position title. He goes by the name of Aries, that Zodiac name which always rings a bell. The exchange of pleasantries is a scripted act in a macho dancer establishment. He quickly reminds of you getting a dancer (or model as macho dancers are sometimes called) or two to keep you company while enjoying your stay, proactively offering to bring the dancers and introducing them to you two at a time (Alternatively, an interested patron can go straight to the show room and choose the dancer he or she fancies). He is persistent and annoying and won’t take a “no” for an answer.

Skipping this part sometimes does not immediately register pretty well in the manager’s mind, and he pushes you to get a dancer to spend time with you. When his second attempt still fails after finally comprehending your firm negative response, he backs off, and simply tells you to just ask for him if and when you need something. You then see him retreat into the darker section of the fairly huge hall.

Do not celebrate his initial defeat yet. After awhile he shows up anew pursuing his business of urging you to at least get a dancer, and to borrow his words, “so you won’t look sad and lonely tonight” (I guess it is the other way around. LOL!). Such is the persistence of this bloodsucking manager, who has no concept of good customer service and satisfaction and who unknowingly sounds more like a sales representative.

The waiters generally seldom smile, making it clear that something is wrong. But the serious look on the face of the waiter waiting on your table soon dissipates when a guest cracks a good jest and genuinely appreciates his service.

Sofas are positioned around the seemingly high stage while the square tables and the steel chairs are grouped in the back and away from the high platform (Big Papa’s seats are better). When it is full house at Adonis, almost all seats (again not all okay?) are taken, and the customers seated are a good mix of women, middle-aged and old men and young men and sissy guys. Statistically speaking, there are more female guests in this place than there are transvestite customers, which type are prominent in smaller macho dancer bars elsewhere.

To the right of the stage is the show room as evidenced by the small, narrow glass window near the door; while to its left is the cashier-rest room areas. Across the floor from the stage are a few VIP rooms, with their one-way glass windows directly facing the stage. Seldom do these small private units get rented, apparently because of the stiff price that most cannot afford.

The “un-tabled” dancers or models (meaning those who have no guests) hang around in the show room or near it, or walk around hoping to be spotted by interested guests. According to one dancer-pal, there are about 50 dancers present on “big nights”, meaning Wednesday and Friday nights, which number drops significantly on all other nights. The large turnout of models on such particular nights is prompted by the false assumption that when it is a big night, it literally means full house at the bar and, many dancers, if not all, will get to have guests.

Sometimes, you see a couple of models approach lone guests bravely asking or begging him or her to “table” them so they will earn, which move is quite unusual for macho dancers to do. The same approach is applied by dancers at Sta. Mesa, Manila-based Prince Galaxy Bar, a smaller establishment famous for total nudity.

Adonis dancers, just like their Prince Galaxy counterparts, have to be aggressive lest they will just go home with a measly basic work allowance, which, sadly, is not even enough to cover a dancer’s transportation expenses.

The practice is tolerated by management since it will translate into revenues when the proactive dancers get to be spotted and requested to join a guest or guests.

On stage, you see a solo dancer or dancers performing erotic dance in pairs or in groups of three or four. The dancers with fat-free, perfectly sculpted bodies or gym-fit bods wear bikinis or denim shorts, while those with not so-sexy physiques have the option of simply donning a t-shirt or tank-top shirt and skimpy shorts while performing. Of course, the brave ones, those few men with either sexy bods or athletic or buffed build, dance naked, displaying their fully erect cocks for the guests to enjoy. During the atw (all the way) show, the strippers do an “area”, which literally means “to approach each occupied table to collect cash from interested and willing customers in exchange for fondling or licking their dick.” Some guests willingly stash away some hundred peso bills or more, while others shun the naked performers, a clear sign they disapprove of the move. And the dancers always get the message crystal clear and move on to the next table.

Some guests with dancers spending time with them approach the stage and tip the latter when it is their turn to perform.

Erotic dancing is boring. All you see are rehearsed actions, which include touching of the chest, the crotch, the buns, the biceps or digging into the crotch, or revealing some public hair to excite or make guests, especially transvestites and closeted ones, heat up. Such scene is repeated over and over again, but guest do not seem to grumble about it. The kind of dancing performed by a few Makisig boys is not what you expect to witness at Adonis. That is not what Adonis is famous for.

You are at Adonis to enjoy seeing, touching and ogling sexy guys you do not get to experience in some bars. But some of these performers are in their senior years who, surprisingly, have managed to maintain such attractive asset.

Even the deafening music is not enjoyable, compared to that played at Mankind or Makisig.

Some passing dancers are opportunistic, partaking of your food when you are not looking, but such behavior is understandable given the situation they are in. Hunger pangs, sometimes, do not get satisfied until one gets tabled and the guest offers to get him something to eat. This, however, is not a sweeping generalization. Not all models eat what the bar kitchen churns out. Even they doubt the cleanliness of the food.

You look around and you notice several men wearing similar short-sleeved polo shirts and standing by the wall or moving around, visiting each occupied table. They are not waiters. Instead, they are masseurs who specialize in shoulder, arm and back massage. They come up to you, asking whether you or the dancer you have tabled wish to be massaged for a small fee, and it is up to you if you oblige. If you wish to decline their offer, you simply say it in a nice manner, and they always get it crystal clear.

If you fancy a dancer, you get the floor manager’s attention by raising your hand or gesturing for him to approach you, and he rushes to where you are. If you are a first-timer, he readily explains the bar’s policy on “tabling” a dancer, otherwise he quickly brings your chosen model and introduces him to you. The dancer flashes a smile and extends a handshake at the same time that he tells you his name. And his name is a pseudonym. They say a dancer never goes by his real nickname or by his given name. It is always a different name that he uses for the protection of his identity. Do not be surprised to hear names like Raven, Rox, Syke, Lester, and Stanley.

Once tabled, he sits closer to you, putting his arm around your shoulders or resting his hand on your lap (If you do not like it, you can always tell him so). He “does” his best to “make you happy” and makes sure you are enjoying your visit. The talk always begins with the dancer’s inquiry on the guest’s nature of work and on where he lives. You jestingly hope you are not dealing with an FBI agent, what with such personal queries. LOL! Most dancers’ conversations dwell on life’s problems, something you do not expect to discuss while unwinding.

When you wish to go to Adonis, you must be financially prepared as the most expensive single bottle of macho dancer drink (I mean beer) is sold here at 450 pesos (a bottle). The model’s drinks are costly, but the kind of entertainment the bar offers is way too cheap!

This photograph, which was taken in late September 2010, is the property of the Gonograd Resident. This, along with the snapshots Trog took of the “old” Adonis and the now defunct Big Papa, were stolen by a certain online site.

Written by thegonogradresident October 28, 2010 at 7:41 pmPosted in Male Entertainment

SURELY, Apollo 14th is the name of a spacecraft. But what a name for a lower class-oriented macho dancer bar located inside a run-down building in one of the most dangerous places in Manila! The business name alone gives anyone the impression the staff, particularly the dancers themselves, will “transport” you to outer space” or, perhaps, to the darkest section of the establishment where real action between a guest and a dancer happens, if you know what I mean. And such is a reality in this kind of a place.

Photographs of some bikini-clad male dancers, alongside those of their female counterparts at a nearby bar, are displayed in the entrance for anyone’s interest and viewing pleasure. Where the pictures are displayed, that is where the building entrance is. At least three or four men hang out in the entrance area. If you ask for the macho dancer bar, one of them will escort you inside. If he is clad in a white tank top (locals call it “sando”), he is likely one of the dancers. There is also a bar named Apollo 14th KTV Disco Theater and Videoke Resto Bar (what a name!), but this is a girly joint and is also operated by the same enterprising owner. Apollo 14th KTV Disco Bar and Resto is what you are looking for. The macho dancer bar is on the far end and you take a few flights down the stairway to get to the dark and gloomy place, which looks more like a basement, if not a dungeon, which is a bit bigger than Valentino Resto Bar or White Bird.

It is humid inside, reminding you of Hotmen, Pretty Boy, Batong Buhay or Dreamboyz. The electric fans are there but do little to make the guests feel comfortable. The temperature inside, which so characterizes those aforementioned macho-dancer bars, is so high even a few waiters go about their duties shirtless. The sight of shirtless, sweating waiters makes guests think they are dancers too. However, it does not take long for the discerning customers to realize that these few half-naked men wait on tables and not dance on stage.

A lone guest is at risk of being “harassed” by aggressive dancers, which, in this context, means being approached and annoyed by two or three dancers urging him or her to ask them to sit with him or her. Lucky are those who come in pairs or groups of three or more, since the dancers will think twice, or even thrice, of going up to them to “sell” themselves. They will wait for the floor manager’s instructions before even entertaining the idea of bothering the customers.

If your intention is to gain insights into the kind of work that the dancers have, you request a dancer to sit with you, buying him a drink of San Miguel Beer Light or the much stronger Beer na Beer Pale Pilsen or two, depending on the latter’s preference. You may be surprised to see a manager unexpectedly joining your company. The intention is crystal clear: to be given drinks and, hopefully, tip money.

Requesting a dancer to join you at your table means buying him drinks costing 300 pesos a bottle or can (less 50 pesos for a bottle of the much stronger Beer Na Beer Pale Pilsen). You do not mind paying that much as long as the model can strike up a no-nonsense talk on just about anything under the sun. But that is not always the case. It is tantamount to asking for the impossible to happen. As expected, the intercourse always centers on the guest’s job, where he lives, and which strip bars he regularly visits amongst others.

Workers in a nearby shop claim the bar is not earning at all since “only a few” bother to drop by to watch and pass time. A survey of Apollo 14th’s customers would include transvestites, young women and occasional straight-acting gay men. Old transvestites or sissy men are regular guests at this bar which, obviously, caters to the lower class.

Small tables and plastic chairs are scattered around the low, makeshift stage, which looks far better than that at Makisig, while a few sofas are positioned near the platform, which faces the show room, the cashier’s area, and an altar containing the statue of the boy Jesus. The latter religious symbol reminds one of a similar Catholic altar in the cashier station of Pasay City-based Big Papa Bar, only it contains the statue of Mary the mother of Jesus, which interestingly enough, stands alongside that of Buddha.

There is nothing to enjoy at Apollo 14th. The place is sprawling yet boring and down-right ugly. The dancers are generally unappealing with only a few showing signs of gym work-out. They are small and lean and can be mistaken for dangerous elements. This is not to say their bar’s notorious location has something to do with it. It is just that their looks make you think they are there to dupe and take advantage of you. You do not feel comfortable and secure in this establishment.

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Batong Buhay, a small down market male strip bar, is on West Point Street, in bustling Cubao district.

Written by thegonogradresident
November 1, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Posted in Male Entertainment

THE door folks (you see three or more manning the small entrance door) do not wear a smile, forgetting to remember that they work in the customer service area. Such sight may be a huge turn-off for a potential guest, but which they do not take quite seriously. If you come off as burly and as straight as an arrow, they may even warn you that it is a “gay bar” (in this context, they mean a macho dancer bar) you are about to enter thinking you are straying into a different territory.

They think only the effeminate men go to macho dancer bars and seeing a straight-acting, straight-looking, straight-talking guy visiting such establishments is unprecedented. What a mentality!

Once inside, you are stared at, if not greeted, by several employees, including a few dancers, whose break from their dancing shows afford them time to hang out near the counter area or chit-chat with their fellow models who have yet to have guests.

In this place enveloped in sadness, there is at least a genuine smile on the face of one floor manager, named Jerome, a no-nonsense, tiny, manly guy with an unusual respect for customers. If it is your first time, he tells you, the customer, what you need and want to know, explaining the options available to guests who are on a tight budget but who still wish to unwind at this particular bar sans spending too much. Everything from booking a private room for an intimate moment with your chosen dancer, the cost of requesting a dancer to sit with you and buying him a round of drinks, to the “big night” shows and to why the bar is “untouchable” in so far as police crackdown on male strip bars is concerned, is presented to you. Presenting such information for the guest’s benefit is part and parcel of his job as a floor manager but it does not mean at all that he is doing it for the sake of doing it.

Yes. Batong Buhay offers “food-beverage packages” to suit the needs of budget guests, which is unusual for any macho dancer bar to do so. Through such option, the bar hopes to entice more customers to patronize Batong Buhay and thus rake in more cash. In the “food-beverage package”, reference is made to “food” which is limited only to hot-of-the-fryer potato fries. There is nothing else. But such package is still an interesting option to explore given the other benefits you get.

If you are after talented macho dancers, Batong Buhay is not the place to be in, since the dancers have no impressive dancing skills. In common with some other bars, it is erotic dancing that they are pretty good at, which thing is definitely boring to watch.

Looks wise, majority are unattractive. A few look pleasant. As far as male bodies are concerned, there are a few dancers with what appear to be gym-sculpted bodies or semi-toned or buff physiques, but most are on the lean/thin and chubby side. In one corner upstairs, you sometimes see a few models lifting some weights to the total shock of the guests.

The establishment looks more like a condemned, dilapidated old house converted into a male strip bar. The walls are covered with newspaper pages. The square tables are two tiny and the metal chairs aren’t comfortable for anyone to sit on. The first floor looks cramp and the stage is small. Several square tables dot the second floor where the lone rest room is located. The tiled rest room contains a single toilet bowl, a small sink with a mirror above it and a faucet with running water under the sink. This toilet facility is dirty with cobwebs on its high ceiling.

This small, two-story establishment allows for guests sitting on the second floor to have a view of the performer on the stage on the ground floor, although guests sitting downstairs have a better view of the stage activities. The stage here is smaller than that at Makisig Entertainment Bar making it difficult for three (3) dancers performing almost simultaneously to move comfortably around a small area.

Poor ventilation on the second floor is a major problem so it is always a better idea to sit downstairs. It is indeed hot on the second floor, however, some men prefer staying here, assured of some privacy while having intimate moments with their chosen models.

Batong Buhay is simple and unpretentious. The performers are equally simple and unpretentious, too. This place is good enough for those with simple needs.

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The famous Big Papa macho dancer bar on Aurora Boulevard, Pasay City.

This photograph, taken in September 2010, is the property of the Gonograd Resident. This same picture was used by a particular site without the permission of the owner. Even the article below was plagiarized.

Written by thegonogradresident
November 17, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Posted in Male Entertainment

MENTION the name and it always rings a bell, at least for many people. Big Papa (Big Papa Stand-Up Comedy Bar & Restaurant is what the official receipt indicates. The business name itself is dubious belying the very nature of the activities inside the bar) is the most popular macho dancer bar in Pasay City.

While other macho dancer establishments in Pasay died out of business, Big Papa has continued to exist. True, it died too, but it resurrected. And along with its expected return came the renovation of the bar itself. But the one thing Big Papa has always failed to deliver on is good entertainment. This is the aspect it must have neglected.

Just across the asphalted street from KIA Motors, Big Papa is housed on the second floor of an unattractive building right on Aurora Boulevard (not Quezon City, okay?), an area in the vicinity of the airports (the domestic and international terminals). Its location is notorious what with thugs proliferating in the area; and you know what to do when you are visiting the bar.

There is a guy or two manning the entrance area. He tells the first-time customers or guests the entrance fee, that is, if he is asked about it; and occasionally frisks men before ushering them in. Once inside one is awed at the impressive interiors, the brightly-lit floor and the stage and the brand-new looking couches. The overall look of the inside of the establishment makes one think Big Papa is an upscale macho dancer establishment.

When a floor manager spots you the moment you step inside, he quickly approaches you, helps you select the best place to sit in, sits you, then introduces himself, complete with his name and title. At the same time, the waiter that he has alerted on your presence takes your orders. The manager and the waiter take turn chit-chatting with you, hoping to draw your trust and interest – or flatter you!

The in-house DJ and the cashier share the same station where there is an altar boasting of the statue of Mary the mother of Jesus standing alongside that of Buddha. The presence of these two religious symbols seems to highlight the religious belief and racial background of the fat owner.

What is so big about Big Papa? It is not the place that is big. There is nothing huge about this famous macho dancer bar. “Big Papa” may well be the behemoth owner, who you can sometimes catch sitting on the lap of one of his macho dancers while twisting his body – in full view of the guests and staff alike. Such behavior is disgusting and gross and only suggests he wants to be “drilled” right there!

This place is no different from several similar businesses which are noted for their boring shows.

If quality entertainment is what you are looking for, then you are in the wrong place. In its official receipts, this place claims to be a “stand-up comedy bar”, but it is not a comedy bar. This is a macho dancer bar which maintains both macho and non-macho performers, a few good-looking and mostly average-looking dancers several of whom have temptingly attractive bodies, thanks to regular fitness training. A few are buff while the rest show no evidence of gym activities.

In common with dancers in some other strip bars, most dancers simply stand on stage looking bored and disinterested in what they do, or slowly move around on stage in pairs or groups, the same monotonous routine you see at Ermita, Manila-based Valentino Resto Bar. Of course, you can always catch one gyrating while the rest try to dig into their respective crotches or touch their chests – their way of drawing potential guests who may later ask them to sit with them. And there is always one who bares everything – to the delight or shock of some patrons

The presence of a talented ex-Club Mankind dancer is a welcome relief from the boring macho dancing shows. Only in his early twenties, this guy knows just how to entertain guests with his unusually impressive dancing skills, excite them and draw their attention when he starts dancing on stage – with life and enthusiasm! His recent removal to Big Papa is a blessing in disguise for the mainstay dancers who can learn a lot from this guy, that is, if they want to learn.

Complementing, if not ruining, the nightly performances are the drag queens famous for their exaggerated lip-syncing antics. Just like the Front Act dancers of Makisig, these fairies move amongst the customers asking for tips before their show comes to an end. They have with them small bags into which tips are dropped.

The inside can make Big Papa pass for an establishment catering to the high-end market but its waterless male toilet, which reeks of human wastes and thus spoils the Gonogran visit, makes one think it is no different from a few seedy macho dancer bars, which neglect their restroom facilities.

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Club Maginoo on Timog Avenue in Quezon City, where not all macho dancers are “maginoo” (gentlemanly).

This photograph, taken in early August 2010, is the property of the Gonograd Resident.

Written by thegonogradresident November 25, 2010 at 3:53 pm Posted in Male Entertainment

THIS is Club Maginoo in Quezon City and is not to be confused with the now-defunct Caloocan City-based Klub Maginoo. Maginoo is how the former is popularly called and is operated by the same group which runs the more popular Adonis Macho Dancer Bar, also in Quezon City.

As you move towards the bar with a simple and unattractive facade, the first person you see outside is the doorman, if not the security guard. He seems friendly as are those in the reception area. Once ushered into the hall, a floor manager named J-Ann is likely the first person to greet you. Occasionally, she is seen in the reception area conferring with her colleagues. This manager appears accommodating and helpful and does not come off as pushy – a stark contrast to her Adonis counterparts. In the Philippines, macho dancer bar floor managers are infamously labeled as pushy, rude and offensive and are worse than the sales representatives when promoting their products and services. But this J-Ann is interestingly different, helping even those first-time guests with their choice of dancers to spend time with when the need arises.

Once you have settled down in your chosen spot, the manager happily joins you at your table unannounced, attempting to strike up a talk with you or interest you in immediately getting a dancer to join you – without coming off as pushy. However, joining a guest at his table without seeking permission from him is rude. This habit robs the guest of the opportunity to have an exclusive time with the dancer without the presence of a floor manager, who is better off settling down in one corner or going around the area checking on pending food or drink orders.

In an attempt to increase sales and get a commission, she offers one of the VIP rooms, or private rooms if you would, but it is public knowledge such units do not sell like pancakes. They are expensive (2,090 pesos) for a mere one hour of stay and the more you spend if you decide to extend your stay. Staying with the audience is a far better idea and makes a difference at all.

When a manager asks you “Would you like to have an “all-cast?” (Note the dangling modifier employed), she actually means all dancers will line up on stage for the customer’s selection and the in-house DJ will introduce them one after the other. They do not dance for this purpose. In this establishment, they do not stage a choreographed group dance for which Makisig Entertainment Bar, Club Mankind and Planet Xanadu Entertainment Bar are famous. An “all-cast” presentation is staged when there are many guests or when guests so request it. This segment affords the guests the opportunity to study the assembled dancers clad in a shirt-bikini outfit or shirt-shorts attire (or simply a bikini or shorts in other bars). This is also the best time for the dancers to make a good impression on the customers some of whom are on the look-out for dancers with a happy disposition and not so much the good-looking ones. But dancers never take advantage of this opportunity for obvious reasons. Here you have straight men wearing either bikinis or shorts who, before they became what they are now, have not been used to standing half-naked in front of customers who look like they are about to devour these almost naked performers. There is shyness which seems to get in the way, precluding them from making an eye-contact with guests. No happy and interesting grin on their faces. And such shyness and hesitance are understandable, but for the dancers, such can be ruinous.

At Maginoo, and to borrow the words of one manager at another bar, the “best-sellers” are the tall (5’7” to 5’10”), lean and toned, good-looking guys who occasionally free-lance as ramp models. They are young, fresh, and sexier, the type preferred by Filipino sissy customers and some female patrons. Different guests have different needs and preferences. You see one who enjoys the company of a dusky model as a macho dancer is also known. Another fancies a buff performer who may be in his late 20′s or early 30′s. Still another would like to have a lean or flabby guy of average height and looks spend time with him.

Most performers are not talented and boredom easily sets in when you watch them perform in pairs or in groups. Their shows are erotic in nature and are boring to watch.

On one side of the stage just beside the spiral stairs, there is a pole and only one particular muscled dancer uses it. What he does on the pole, though, is quite interesting and never fails to wow the audience and his fellow dancers, who watch from the sidelines.

When a dancer gets on stage, his fellow dancers, watching from the sidelines, cheer him. This is the time you see them at their happiest moment, flashing wide smiles or laughing among themselves as they watch and observe one of their kind gyrates, twists, and turns while carefully timing his rather monotonous movements with every beat of the deafening music.

In common with their counterparts elsewhere, dancers wear tank-tops, black or dark blue micro-mini denim shorts (women’s shorts, that is!), plain or printed bikinis under the shorts, knee-high black or brown leather boots, and black or white big-buckled belt.

Maginoo dancers here are a good mix of small, flabby young guys, lean and toned men, muscled and buff ones. Only four appear to be good-looking while several look pleasant. The rest are unattractive. You look at their faces and you wonder how they mustered enough courage to apply as macho dancers, forgetting one important thing: a macho dancer has to be good-looking if not extremely handsome and macho, which means that he has a sexy, gym-toned or gym-sculpted body. This is one aspect even bar owners have not fully understood.

If Adonis boasts of better-looking macho dancers, Club Maginoo maintains the not-so-good-looking ones. If some Adonis dancers have a rather tough time getting selected to sit with guests, they can head off to nearby Maginoo where they hope they can get customers to pick them and buy them a couple of drinks. Competition amongst macho dancers at either bar is tough and, the “best sellers” are always the attractive and sexy ones.

Overall, most dancers are not good conversationalists, with nothing else interesting to start the night with. Their small talks always center on the guest’s nature of work, place of residence, and age to name a few.

Almost every Thursday night, a drag queen named Michelle, or Mimi San as she is popularly known, performs at Club Maginoo. The term “drag queen” is not really used; instead, performers like her are given the moniker “gay impersonators”, and they are famous for their exaggerated lip-syncing styles. At Maginoo, Michelle stages slapstick shows all by herself, however at Makisig also on Timog Avenue, she sometimes collaborates with a group of homosexual dancers. She alternates between Makisig and Maginoo on Thursday and Saturday nights, hoping to double her earnings. Her presence at Maginoo never fails to break the boredom which always fills the bar. All eyes are on her when she performs.

Waiters seem helpful and friendly, but some are not attentive to guests’ needs. There are shoulder masseurs but, thankfully, they are not aggressively pushy as to ruin one’s night

Maginoo is smaller than Adonis but does not have too many sofas or coffee tables, thus preventing overcrowding. Sofas are positioned closed to the stage while the square tables and steel chairs are grouped against the wall. At least, the guest area still offers legroom.

The bar does not really offer quality entertainment but is still interesting to visit if you wish to spend time and drink with those sexy free-lance underwear models.

Written by thegonogradresident
December 3, 2010 at 1:14 am
Posted in Male Entertainment

THERE is a macho dancer bar on Scout Rogelio Ybardolaza Street in Quezon City, right at the back of Grand Amihan Restaurant, which restaurant stands at the corner of Timog Avenue and Scout Ybardolaza. Its name is Club Mankind, a fairly modest establishment reportedly owned by a homosexual cosmetic surgeon who maintains a clinic adjacent to the bar itself.

Two-lane Ybardolaza is a short stretch of road traversing Timog Avenue.

At the entrance, an observant customer or passerby never misses these two notices: No Entrance Fee (no cover charge) and Free Wi-Fi (free wireless Internet access). At least, management thought it wise to make up for the bar’s stiff prices by giving free entry to customers and allowing those who brought their laptops with them free wireless Internet connection. But no guest wants to face his computer throughout his visit, as this kills his purpose for visiting the place. It is the few dancers with portable computers who are engrossed on computer activities during a break from dancing.

On certain nights when there are only ten customers say, two hours from opening time, you see a few managers and waiters outside chit-chatting amongst themselves. But you rarely catch a macho dancer on the side-street. Dancers are forbidden to hang around the entrance area

Mankind gets “busy” between 11pm and 2am, that is, guests from all walks of life stream into the bar during this period. But their presence does not mean it is full house at Mankind. Even on “big nights”, there are still a few unoccupied tables.

When a heavy downpour strikes unexpectedly before or just after it has opened, the bar appears deserted, affecting revenues and the dancers’ earnings for the night. Potential customers are scared to leave home when it is raining cats and dogs in Metro Manila, generally a flood-prone area.

Locals make up the majority of the guests. Koreans, mostly women, and several whites (always mistaken for Americans by ignorant locals who are not aware that Scandinavians whites too) are occasionally seen at this expensive establishment, which claims to be operated by Valedson Restaurant (and where on earth is Valedson Restaurant located only the diminutive owner knows), which is the business name indicated in the bar’s official receipts. Before the clock strikes 3(am), people begin leaving, having been tired from watching boring shows or felt sleepy from the late night bar adventure.

At 4am, the bar signage light is switched off, a clear sign that it is already closing time. If there are still guests, the DJ continues to play music but macho dancing is discontinued. Dancers start leaving before 5am or 6am. On a slow night, some dancers leave off early, rather than squander precious time trying their luck or hoping somebody shows up before closing time and decides to get one of them, or even two, to join him at his table.

Around 10:30PM to 11PM when there are around ten to fifteen customers, the bar stages what it calls an “all-cast” show, which literally means all macho dancers get on stage for a choreographed dance presentation. The dancers, a mix of lean and toned, muscled, flabby, and thin guys, wear tank-top shirts and micro mini-shorts or just mini shorts and dance to the tune of say, a naughty song, specially selected so as to hopefully interest, excite and entice guests to get dancers to spend time with them. A lead dancer is designated to guide the group in their performance which can be repeated at a guest’s request. After their dance, the disk jockey introduces each one of them as the floor managers assist interested guests in deciding on which dancer or dancers to get to join them. As always, the dancers who “look attractive and sexy from a distance” get to be chosen to join the requesting customers. It is going to be a happy night then for the chosen dancers – for obvious reasons!

The “all-cast show” is repeated when the need arises.

Not all dancers are good-looking and macho. Admittedly, there are a few who are handsome, but the rest are either pleasant looking or unattractive.

Here, the macho dancer drink and guest drink are too expensive (440 pesos for a bottle, can or glass of male dancer drink and 250 pesos for the guest’s entry drinks; 90 pesos a bottle, can, glass or cup for the latter’s subsequent orders), and it is for this reason, only few patronize the bar. People tend to shy away from expensive places knowing the money they waste goes only to the bar and does not benefit the dancers spending time with them. The bar owner gets richer while the macho dancers get poorer each day and night.

Almost every night, you see the diminutive owner at his favorite table sipping tea in between smoking. He watches his dancers, observes the waiters and managers, and perhaps, checks on the number of guests unwinding at his bar. Every now and then, his trusted right-hand man, also one of the floor managers, joins him at his table for a quick chat or to brief him on things only they know.

Dancers call the owner “Danny Doc” (Doc is a shortened version of Doctor) in recognition of his profession as a doctor specializing in cosmetic surgery. A few of the dancers, including a drag queen, benefited from the owner’s “expertise” in cosmetic surgery, in the form of corrected noses.

On rare occasions, you get to see a candidate for a cosmetic procedure walk across the guest area of the bar on the way to the adjacent clinic, and the right-hand man wearing surgical gloves showing up in the bar unannounced! Cosmetic procedures are carried out even at an unholy hour…in the name of beauty and money!

Only recently, the owner had the interiors renovated, hoping to increase the bar’s revenues which for some months had gone down. The stage got a new look. The rest rooms, particularly the male toilet, were improved a bit. To complement the improvements, a new batch of drag queens joined the bar at the same time that management took in new macho dancers.

The floor managers do not come off as pushy or rude and, in fact, they seem accommodating and friendly. One manager, who goes by the name of Kikay, gives justice to her job by cleaning up the tables dirtied from water or sauce drippings and cigarette ashes, and checking on the ice supply on occupied tables under his supervision.

As far as waiters are concerned, there is this waiter named Choy who does his job efficiently and professionally. He stays close to the area where the tables he waits at are found and focuses on the guests and their needs. He is different from his fellow waiters and the waiters at other macho dancer establishments because he knows just what to do!

Many Mankind boys are disappointingly incapable of striking up an interesting conversation, always delving into the harsh realities of life and sort of talking guests into pitying them, instead of entertaining their customers with a no-nonsense talk and lively dance shows, but then asking for the latter is like asking for a ham and cheese sandwich at MacDonald’s which you cannot get because it is not available in the first place.

But you still want to return if only to spend time, no matter how brief it may be, with a good-looking, sexy dancer of your choice.

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Entrance Fee (Cover Charge): FreeFirst Drink Order (Obligatory Twin Drinks): 250 pesos for twin drinks (San Miguel Beer Light, Fit N Right Fruit Juice, Coke, Sprite, and Royal Tru Orange Sodas, Iced Tea or regular coffee); subsequent orders at 90 pesos per bottle, can, glass, or cupMacho Drink (Male Dancer’s Drink): 440 pesos per bottle, can, glass, or cupService Charge: 8%Value Added Tax: 12%VIP Room: 2 near the entrance; air-conditioned; with two sofas and a table; once inside, the dancer can dance naked and the guest can touch and play with the dancer’s cockVIP Room Charge: 2,200 pesos for one hour and inclusive of one (1) drink for the dancer; to extend the use of the room, guest just needs to order a drink or two for the dancer; standard macho drink price applies
Dancer’s Commission on the VIP Room Fee: The dancer does not get anything out of the 2,200-room fee; his only commission is the 80 pesos he gets for the single drink that is inclusive of the room charge; he is lucky if the guest decides to extend his use of the room by ordering drinks for him as he gets a share of the drink payment; the floor manager, who assists and sits the guest, is luckier since he or she gets a guaranteed commission of 150 pesosBar Fine (Off Fee): 7,000 pesosDancer’s Share of the Off Fee: 1,000 pesosDancer’s Budget (Work allowance given by the bar owner before the dancer goes home): 200 pesosDancer’s Drink Commission (Cut on each drink ordered for him): 80 pesosATW Incentive: 50 pesos is added to your allowance if you go “All The Way”, that is, you show your cock; and by dancing naked, he may entice some interested guests to reward him with some cash to the delight of the floor managers, waiters, and disk jockey who are like leeches, depending on the dancer’s voluntary, if not obligatory, donations of cashTipping: Despite the 8% service charge levied on food and beverage orders, which service charge, claims one waiter, goes only to the bar, waiters and floor managers expect you to tip them in spite of sloppy service. But it is good to know the latter do not nag the guests for some gratuities if they are not handed anything at all. The dancers do wish for tips but never go to the extent of annoying the guests about such rewards. Here you will, on rare occasions, see a guest or two give a tip of 20,000 or 40,000 pesos or more to a dancer he fancies – a polite way of displaying arrogancePeak Nights: Friday and Saturday nightsBig Night: Saturday nightRest Room: There is running water but there is no soap; urinals and a cubicle are available

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The facade of Dreamboyz, a decades-old seedy macho dancer bar on Aurora Boulevard in Barangay Kaunlaran in Quezon City

Written by thegonogradresident
December 13, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Posted in Male Entertainment

THE facade is unimposing and unappealing, and the place itself can pass for a typical beer house like those tiny, dingy, girlie joints you see in many parts of Metro Manila. Once inside, one immediately opines the bar is no different from Pretty Boy in Cubao or Prince Galaxy Bar in Sta. Mesa, Manila. The inside of HotMen also in Cubao looks far better and appears much more inviting and appealing despite its limited space. On the other hand, Dreamboyz (or Dreamboy or whatever others call it) is a cramp, hot place which caters only to those who do not mind the poor ventilation inside, as long as they can see and fondle much abused cocks.

When the place is intolerably hot and the people in the audience are feeling hot and, possibly in heat, one jestingly assumes the temperature inside shoots up! There is a small wall air-conditioner backed up by seven small ceiling fans to keep the place cool. A single stand fan is sometimes used, especially during those nights when it is full house at Dreamboyz. The presence of too many, tiny square tables make it difficult for the guests to move around the area. During big or special nights, it is not unusual to let different guests share a single table! What a deplorable business practice! The people managing this place are unabashed dough-suckers with no regard for customer convenience.

Dreamboyz is the size of a house or a covered garage. Its interiors are nothing special. Everything looks simple.

It is the shows that people come here for. It is what they see on stage that matters the most, which equally tiny stage is flanked by the lone private room on the right and the bar on the left. This so-called private room is transformed into a dressing room-cum-holding room when the bar stages a bikini contest of sorts. At 3,500 pesos, the private room rental is high and costly and you wonder whether there is a customer who won’t mind the high price.

This seedy macho dancer bar is a favorite of some older closeted homosexuals and effeminate men who have not gotten tired of watching dicks sizzle before their very eyes. Oh yes, Dreamboyz guys bare everything to the delight of many customers who visit the place for such purpose.

The looks of the dancers are an issue but management does not seem to care. They are average-looking or unattractive and are a mix of “old”, “not-so old”, and surprisingly young men.

Of course, you can meet buff or gym-toned guys but if you fancy gorgeous, hunky guys, then this is not the place for you.

Floor managers never fail to make their presence felt by pressuring customers to “table” dancers instead of letting guests decide for themselves. This is horrible!

And there are dancers who are as aggressive as their Batong Buhay or Prince Galaxy Bar counterparts when it comes to asking for tip money from customers!

As far as waiters are concerned, there is one friendly and accommodating young waiter who does not succumb to pressure when it is full house at Dreamboyz. He still manages to flash a smile, which reminds you of the waiters at Planet Xanadu Entertainment Bar on Borromeo Street in Quezon City.

Dreamboyz, or House of Dreamboyz Bar as its official receipt indicates, appeals to those who are not picky and are simply contented with what they see once there. But if you who love quality entertainment, you better go elsewhere where there are no-nonsense shows to watch and enjoy.

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Ginoong Modelo Entertainment Bar on Dimasalang Street, Sampaloc, Manila is a stone’s throw from North Cemetery and Chinese General Hospital in Sta. Cruz District also in Manila. This establishment is another of Manila’s few macho dancer bars.

The Dimasalang Street-Blumentritt Street junction. A portion of Caltex Gas Station is seen on the right. Ginoong Modelo Bar occupies an area between the two electrical posts on the left.

Written by thegonogradresidentDecember 18, 2010 at 2:04 pmPosted in Male Entertainment

THERE is no denying the fact the location of Ginoong Modelo Entertainment Bar is dangerous what with thugs proliferating in the area, which is close to the Manila-Quezon City border. Even one floor manager attests to this. The former is on Dimasalang Street which forms a T-junction with the much longer Ferdinand Blumentritt Street.

The bar stands about twenty (20) meters away from the corner of Dimasalang and Blumentritt. At the opposite corner is Caltex Gas Station which faces Manila North Cemetery beside which is Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center. Across the street from the hospital is its nursing and liberal arts collegiate unit whose tall building towers above the petrol station.

At 9PM onwards, the vicinity looks quiet and deserted with only the passing ubiquitous jeepneys, taxis and container-van-laden trucks breaking the silence of the place which is also near La Loma district of Quezon City, dubbed the “Roasted Pig Capital” of the Philippine Islands owing to the numerous roasted pig dealers or lechoneros doing business in the area.

Although that portion of Dimasalang Street between Amoranto Street (formerly Retiro) and Blumentritt is dimly lit at night, the driveway of the bar is appropriately lighted and there are a few folks, including the burly looking doorman, hanging around the driveway. For the scared customers (or guests as macho dancer bars prefer calling their patrons) riding on the ever-dependable jeepneys, the sight of the lighted driveway seems to bring temporary relief as they know they are in the right place. Their fears of getting robbed on their way to the bar seem to dissipate into thin air the moment they reach Ginoong Modelo.

The location may be dangerous but dangers do not stop potential guests from visiting the macho dancer bar majority of whose clients, admits one floor manager, are from the lower class and middle class.

This two-level establishment has been on Dimasalang Street for years but some online information placed Calavite Street, Quezon City as its address. This is incorrect.

Ginoong Model is simple and unpretentious as evidenced by its dreary interior, but most customers do not spend too much time observing this aspect, lest their visit may be ruined.

But it is good to know the personnel are quite friendly and accommodating, qualities that employees of other similar establishments do not possess. The waiters smile back when you grin at them and treat you with respect. They quickly respond when alerted for additional drinks. At least, they are focused on the tables they wait at.

But one loquacious manager tends to be insolent when she joins a guest at his table throughout his entire visit! Floor managers should leave the guests alone when they already have dancers spending time with them, instead of depriving them of some privacy. A customer and his chosen model would want to talk, enjoy the night, and have fun without the presence of an opportunistic floor manager who should be channeling her time into something else needing her attention. When a floor manager stays with the guest and the dancer, the reasons are crystal clear!

Ginoong Modelo obviously lags behind several macho dancer bars when it comes to better-looking models. Most dancers are simply average-looking while others are unattractive, which looks tempt one to contemplate, for a moment, on how these models would survive in this industry. Despite this, though, some have bodies which bear evidence of some gym activities. Others, sadly, are too lazy or too tired to hit the gym to sculpt their bodies to make up for their average looks. Most of them are on the thin/lean side, several are flabby, and, of course, a few have athletic or semi-gym-toned physiques. But, at least, Ginoong Modelo’s performers are generally far better looking than their Planet Xanadu counterparts.

When at the bar, it is wise to sit closer to the stage if you want to get a better view of the dancers’ faces. Several sofas face and flank the stage, while the bulk of the couches are positioned farther away from the low-level stage but still face it.

The show room-cum-holding room faces the stage and any manager can take you here for dancer viewing/selection purposes, that is, if you shun an “all-cast presentation”, which any guest can request if he so desires. The latter segment does not involve a choreographed dance show and only has the participating dancers doing some monotonous, erotic body movement routines. Such lack excitement but some guests still get to table dancers who seem to have interested them.

The bar’s upper-level contains only the disk jockey’s station and the so-called private room, which units rarely get rented because of the stiff price – a whopping 5,000 pesos! The former overlooks a greater portion of the floor including the stage, thus, he can witness the stage shows and see who strides in.

The stage is big enough to accommodate all dancers when requested to get on stage for the benefit of the guests, especially the newly-arrived customers who may wish to choose from the assembled performers.

Ventilation is not an issue and it is fair to say management does not want to inconvenience the customers.

If there is one thing Ginoong Modelo should be most proud of, it is its male restroom, which is the cleanest amongst all macho-dancer bar toilet rooms. The non-slippery, tiled restroom has urinals, a tiny sink, a small mirror, and a cubicle. Running water is available and white light, instead of the usual yellow light, is used inside the room. The area does not reek of a pungent smell which is the common complaint against most macho-dancer bar toilets.

One floor manager claims some of the regular patrons hail from Manila’s Quiapo district and it is not unusual to see them show up in the place wearing only flip-flops and short pants. These people want to relax, watch macho and non-macho dancers, and enjoy their time with their friends. Sometimes, they table models. Sometimes they do not.

The dancers are not rude, aggressive, or oppressive. They are the “maginoo” (gentlemanly) type, courteous, and friendly and, sometimes, many of them come off as shy, always looking down and quiet. But they smile back when smiled at. When not “tabled” (meaning a dancer is not spending time with a guest), they hang around in front of the stage or in the back-seats with some staying in the holding room. They pass time conversing with one another, reading and sending out phone messages, or playing games on their mobile phones or play stations.

The downside of staying longer at Ginoong Modelo is that boredom will soon set in, thus, you will be prompted to foot the bill and leave off. The variety shows that the drag queen or drag queens stage cannot kill the boredom, as they are monotonous too. At least, you get to spend an hour or two at Ginoong Modelo which some people, including dancers from other bars, thought had long folded up. The bar is alive and thriving and remains a good alternative to a few seedy establishments.

Written by thegonogradresidentDecember 20, 2010 at 2:40 pmPosted in Male Entertainment

HOTMEN only clearly means that the men you see are hot, sexy, gorgeous, hunky, or “delicious”, and make you ogle at their supposedly gym-sculpted bodies, but at HotMen, an obscure macho dancer bar on Stanford Street, Cubao, the men working as “macho dancers” are not hot. It is the place that is hot! At least, the manager with a receding hairline seems “hot” with his seemingly buff body frame. But that is a totally different story.

The HotMen boys are generally small, lean or chubby, and are unappealing, though a few have bodies which show traces of gym activity. They may not be eye-candy but they are not rude and opportunistic when it comes to tipping, unlike some of their Timog and Manila counterparts. They are the behaved and “tamed” -type dancers and it is good to know you can enjoy your visit without having to deal with the thought of being constantly bugged by pleas for tips, or anything to that effect. When they are not with guests, the dancers chat with one another in the guest area or in the dressing room. Management is tolerant, allowing them to hang around the bar, but some prefer to pass time in the dressing room, which faces the small stage.

As far as dancing is concerned, their dancing is down-right boring, except for one lean guy who stands about 5’7” tall. He can execute moves which are quite commendable. He is average-looking but his dance skills seem to set him apart from the rest. Sometimes, you would rather spend time with someone who can dance well even if he is not a pretty boy, because he can make you smile with his dance shows. It is sad to know that there are dancers who tend to neglect their dancing skills, not realizing there are customers who focus more on the dancing skill aspect than on the looks.

Just like in several other strip bars like Club Valentino, Batong Buhay, Adonis, Mankind and Makisig, dancers dance in pairs (back-to-back in local macho dancer bar parlance) or in groups in addition to solo performances.

This macho dancer bar is indeed small! That there is not much leg room is a reality in this place. And the situation gets worse when it is full house at HotMen. Plastic chairs, a few sofas, and small tables crowd the already small area. The stage is equally small and has two poles which give you an impression there are pole dancers in this part of Metro Manila. Every Friday and Saturday night, this stage stands witness to live male-to-male sex actions, features which make this establishment popular amongst patrons seeking a different kind of entertainment. The friendly manager, who is occasionally seen outside, brags that the local police have never raided the place for staging live sex shows.

The DJ booth is interestingly tiny and, in fact, it is tinier than the restroom. You wonder where the disc jockey got the idea of squeezing himself into the small room. Despite the bar’s limited space, the people running the place managed to build at least three (3) private rooms, which face the stage-guest sitting area. These small units have tiny one-way windows, allowing the occupants to see what is going on outside the room.

It is in such obscure places as HotMen, Batong Buhay, and Pretty Boy where macho dancers do not mind being fondled by guests, in sharp contrast to Timog-based strip bars where dancers have the right to leave guests who sexually harass them in full view of other customers. And one manager claims many people prefer going to Cubao-based macho dancer bars to their Timog area-based counterparts as they can spend more intimate time with the dancers.

Hotmen’s male floor manager is friendly, accommodating, helpful and professional and speaks good English. Once your chosen dancer joins you at your table, he leaves to allow you some privacy. This is the kind of manager you want to meet and deal with at a macho dancer bar.

This place appeals to those people seeking dancers who do not grumble when fondled and hugged by customers, and looking for reasonably priced drinks and a fairly decent macho dancer bar to pass time and relax.

The establishment issues receipts which, interestingly, lists Club Venus as its business name and puts its address at 41 Stanford Street (Quezon City). This is no different from the practice of Adonis, Club Maginoo, Club Mankind and White Bird which issue receipts bearing different business names.

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Makisig Entertainment Bar and Restaurant near the Boy Scout Memorial at the intersection of Tomas Morato Street and Timog Avenue

The famous Makisig Entertainment Bar and Restaurant, sandwiched between Emerald Glass and Dream Spa on Timog Avenue in Quezon City.

Written by thegonogradresident
December 23, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Posted in Male Entertainment

A FAIRLY small establishment, Makisig Entertainment Bar and Restaurant is a popular male entertainment bar in Metro Manila and, to date, the friendliest, liveliest, and the homiest macho dancer bar in the metropolis. Its proximity to the Philippine Boy Scout Memorial at the intersection of Tomas Morato Street and Timog Avenue in Quezon City makes it easy to locate and accessible to transportation.

It occupies a spot which, at one time, was gutted by fire which spread to Club One Heart, the next-door host bar. The space once occupied by the latter bar is now occupied by Dream Spa, which stands beside Music Box.

Compared to decades-old Adonis also in Quezon City and Big Papa in Pasay City, Makisig is relatively new but has since created a loyal following in Metro Manila. The customers are varied with a sprinkling of Koreans and white men.

The physical lay-out of the establishment is such that it looks narrow inside and the temperature is sometimes an issue amongst many guests. The ground floor is dotted with a combination of red sofas and iron chairs, while the mezzanine, which overlooks the small stage and much of the ground floor space, contains sofas. It is also up here where you find the disk jockey’s station. The area can be irritatingly and disappointingly hot when the wall fan is not switched on; and the back-up air-conditioning system helps a lot in keeping this particular place cool when used. The guest must proactively remind the manager or the waiter to switch on the fan, as this aspect is sometimes neglected.

The upper level also contains two tiny private rooms (or VIP rooms), which are equipped with two sofas and a table, the show room and the dressing area-cum-locker unit.

It is obviously a family-run business what with the owner’s children and in-law as amongst the employees. On certain nights, the proprietress is seen checking on the performance of her people.

While its macho dancers are not among the most gorgeous models in Quezon City, and in Metro Manila in general, Makisig boasts of several good-looking dancers with sexy, gym-toned bodies to show. Needlessly to say, these good-looking men have become the most requested models and are an instant hit with the audience. The rest of the models are either average-looking or unattractive. It is here where you find boy-next-door-type of guys who are mostly on the lean/thin and small built type.

Dancing skill-wise, three of Makisig’s dancers are the best amongst all Metro Manila-based macho bar dancers. These young men are talented, know what they do, and perform with life and enthusiasm. They know how to entertain the customers with their impressive dancing skills.

In common with Planet Xanadu Entertainment Bar on Scout Borromeo Street also in Quezon City, Makisig stages lively production numbers and group dance shows, in addition to the usual erotic dancing. The models participate in the shows some of which involve total nudity. At Makisig, there are two types of models: the strippers and the non-strippers. The strippers do not mind showing their wares in choreographed group dances, solo performances or variety shows. A few of these strippers, when tabled especially by white men, allow themselves to be fondled even in full view of the customers or their fellow employees.

Here, the terms “model” and “dancer” are interchangeable with the macho dancers themselves preferring to apply the former term. When the bar starts filling up, that is, at around 11PM, the managers gather and have the dancers assemble on the small wooden stage for the choreographed dance show, better known as “all-cast presentation” in macho dancer bar parlance. Because the platform cannot accommodate them all, the other models assemble in front of the stage, in the process occupying the space separating the stage and the few tables facing it. During this time, the disk jockey (DJ) calls the shots.

These models dance to contemporary pop songs including a famous Korean song. Several do dance well, having mastered the steps, but others remain stiff unable to twist their bodies or execute the choreographed moves. Such show may be repeated until the guests can finally choose the dancers to join them. In some instances, a dancer who has just gotten on the stage can be asked to leave the assembled group even if the group dance has yet to start, if a guest likes him. Also, guests can pick the models to join them at their tables even at the start of the show or half-way through it. After their dance show, the DJ then introduces them one after the other. “Mr. Fantasy” and “Hard-Rock” are amongst the famous monikers you hear.

Makisig sort of metamorphoses into a comedy bar when Michelle, or Mimi San as he (he is a man) is fondly called by the bar folks, shows up for his scheduled nightly performances and when a few floor managers join in. He performs and holds variety shows, and sometimes, does so in conjunction with three other effeminate in-house performers. He is a one-of-a-kind performer. He knows what he is doing and performs with passion. Each show he stages is a showcase of his impressive skills and well-thought-out dance moves and lip-syncing ability. He also dons colorful costumes and props which never fail to catch one’s attention.

Other dance shows to look forward to when visiting the bar are those carried out by a group of ever-grinning young male hip-hop dancers better known as the Front Act Dancers. These young men are talented and their impressive dancing skills have helped them appear and perform in some television and mall shows. They execute jaw-dropping moves which leave the audience awed and more than satisfied. Such dance moves make the audience shout for more of what they do. When they dance to the tunes of popular hip-hop songs, the audience is literally glued to them. Their group is indisputably superb! First-timer customers may be taken aback when seeing these guys approach guests for tips after their show, a practice Big Papa transsexual performers also resort to. But these young dancers understand the meaning of the word “no” far better than the pesky managers at Adonis Bar and leave guests in peace when not rewarded with tips.

At Makisig one can find a white scrub-suit-clad chubby guy named Paul. He is a masseur and he doubles as a janitor. Aside from maintaining the cleanliness of the place including the rest rooms, he offers shoulder-arms-back massage services for any amount. He can be pesky and aggressive and, come off as annoying, but he can take a “no” for an answer.

Makisig also claims to be a restaurant as evidenced by its business name, but its food choices are limited with pancit bihon (rice noodles) or pancit canton gisado (dry egg/flour noodles) and friend chicken as the most popular food orders. Management should follow the example of Planet Xanadu and Solution Disco which have varied menu items. It is good to know that the food and beverage prices are affordable and remain so even on Friday and Saturdays nights, which are considered peak nights.

It is at Makisig where a guest feels valued as a customer in the real sense of the word and feels treated like a VIP. The managers are generally helpful, accommodating, and friendly, although a few are pushy especially when dealing with foreigners. There is another reason for their pushiness. On peak nights when some dancers are not tabled by customers, the owner urges a few floor managers to offer the “un-tabled” models to customers with no dancers keeping them company during their stay. The floor managers cannot say “no” to the owner and, have to follow the directive, thus, in the process of forcing guests to get dancers to join them at their tables, the floor managers come off as pushy.

Written by thegonogradresidentJanuary 3, 2011 at 6:55 pmPosted in Male Entertainment

THIS macho dancer bar in Barangay South Triangle in Quezon City was one of the locations for shooting some scenes for a popular lower-class oriented afternoon soap opera currently being shown on Channel 7. Anyone familiar with the soap opera can attest to this. We pertain to Planet Xanadu Entertainment Bar at Number 6 Scout Borromeo Street, between Panay Avenue and Mother Ignacia Street. The bar occupies a spot in an area dotted with residential complexes but which area is considered an extension of the famous Timog Strip.

If there are no vehicles blocking the driveway, you will most likely get a glimpse of the doorman seriously doing his job of manning the entrance. It is interesting to know he is friendly and smiling, a stark contrast to the Solution Disco door-man or door-men who always frown. Occasionally, you get to see the owner and his managers rubbing elbows with the guy, which happens when there are no customers yet.

Planet Xanadu has good interior, with one floor manager claiming credit for regularly improving the appearance of the stage on which action explodes. This same manager once had a stint at Pasay City-based Big Papa before joining Xanadu. The couches, complemented by glass tables, look soft, providing some sort of comfort to customers. However, the physical layout of the bar is such that customers cannot stretch their legs as there is not much leg room in the first place. Thus when it is filled to capacity, you know what transpires. But it seems not all customers mind this leg-room issue, preferring to ignore it and focus more on the purpose of their visit.

The sofa seats are near the stage, allowing customers to have a better view of the dancers. Xanadu, as it is also called, is a hit with executives and production personnel from the television and independent film industries, what with some effeminate directors visiting the place on a regular basis. The same manager explains some film directors drop by the bar to also discuss film projects and to scout for a lead star or extras they can pluck from amongst the macho dancers. In fact, one bar dancer appeared in Pulupot, an independently made film. Whether macho dancers-turned-part-time independent film actors make a considerable amount of money is another story.

There are instances when the doorman escorts you inside, especially when you are a familiar face at the bar and when there is someone who can cover for him for a minute while he leaves his post. It is likely a tall, dark, long-haired effeminate floor manager may welcome you as soon as you stride in. He is quick to introduce himself and to assist you find the best area to sit in. Once you have settled down, he joins you at your table and the exchange of pleasantries ensues. The waiter is alerted and he brings the unusually large menu which brags of interestingly varied items to choose from. As expected, you will be asked whether you will get a model to spend time with you, with the understanding that you will buy him a couple of drinks, or more. Requesting a dancer to join you at your table means revenue for the bar, which is why floor managers always raise the usual query of whether you, the customer, would want a dancer to spend time with you, however briefly it would be.

Whether you request it or not, an “all-cast” show is staged so you, the customer, will have the opportunity to see all the models assemble on stage, dance, strut their stuff, and entice you. It is more like buying a commodity when you see models donning mini-shorts or bikinis right before your eyes. The chosen model or models (since there are instances when a lone guest wants to get two or more dancers to join him) are, of course, lucky and have the chance to earn more for the night.

The Xanadu boys perform a choreographed dance to the tune of popular local songs, one of which is Uhhya Uhhya, a Tagalog song popularized by the all-male singing group Masculados. You would think the latter song is carefully selected for the dance presentation because its lyrics seems appropriate for the macho dancers and is kind of naughty and sexy.

The disk jockey, whose tiny booth is sandwiched between the stage and the women’s dressing room, does the job of introducing the models one after the other, once their group dance is over. His voice is heard only during this time and when he introduces the dancers during their scheduled individual shows: “The next performer is __________.” He lacks the enthusiasm and energy that his Makisig counterpart possesses.

With about 25 to 30 names to remember, it is easier for the customer to remember the faces as far as picking a model to spend time with him.

Most dancers are unattractive. On a lucky night, you may chance upon a pleasant looking dancer and his presence gives you the impression that is he is a new hire. Majority are very young and are on the skinny/lean and flabby side. Occasionally you will meet three or four guys with what appear to be athletic or gym-toned bodies. This so-called macho dancer bar may have altogether neglected the importance of maintaining only gym-toned, good-looking performers or may not have any concept of what a “macho dancer bar” truly means.

The bar’s models may not be gorgeous or eye-candies, but Xanadu tries to bank on its lively production numbers and hip-hop dance shows staged by a select group of macho dancers, better known as GPX Dancers. These young men are awesome when it comes to hip-hop dancing than erotic dancing which they do every night.

Dancers do not strip but Xanadu occasionally holds bikini contests of sorts, which involve cock-showing by non-macho dancers as part of a production number, which feature reminds you of similar events happening occasionally at Dreamboyz also in Quezon City.

And speaking of dancing, dancers perform singly, in pairs or in groups of three or more. It is a standard practice for the models to look to the mirror on the wall when dancing, but at Xanadu, the mirror is not in-front of the dancer when he is performing. It is behind him so he sometimes turns around to see the mirror and see how he has been doing so far. When dancing, the Xanadu models prevent possible distractions by avoiding eye-contact with the customers. They say that if you think of the people in front of you and you start looking at them, you lose your concentration, in the process affecting your performance. Instead, the dancers look to the wall, imagining it as a mirror which shows their reflection.

You can table the models some of whom are “barfinable” (you can take him off the bar). But it appears only a few customers explore this option.

Management seems tolerant of the boys’ activities, allowing them to hang around room. The “untabled” dancers congregate between the bar counter and the guest area, chatting with one another, texting or playing games on their mobile phones or portable play stations, or simply observing the people. Every now and then, you see a few coming out of the dressing room which is behind the stage.

The dancers are friendly and would smile back when smiled at, but they look sad when not tabled for obvious reasons.

There is this dusky, young dancer who is a standout because of his impressive dancing skill. It is not the usual erotic dancing so common in macho dancer bars that you see him does. His choreography lets you think he has been dancing even before embarking on a career as a macho dancer. One manager explains that the dancer is the “captain” of the bar’s hip-hop dance crew.

Like Adonis, Club Maginoo and Makisig, Xanadu has masseurs whose pushiness may ruin your visit. There was one instance when the masseur carefully followed a burly looking male customer to the rest room. While the latter was standing in front of the urinal, the masseur suddenly started massaging the shoulders of the customer, to the latter’s surprise. The customer thought someone wanted to sexually harass him. The masseur was lucky not to have been beaten up by the startled man who simply gave him a dressing down. The poor masseur apologized for his deplorable action.

Unlike Dreamboyz where customers are predominantly male, Xanadu’s guests are varied. Many are effeminate men and transvestites with a sprinkling of some young women and a few straight acting men. It is at around 12 midnight that Xanadu starts filling up and you see some customers arrive in groups with some giggling, laughing, or looking awkward or hesitant to move towards the guest area. Observing them, you are tempted to think that shyness seems to get in the way, which explains their behavior. Maybe.

While you have no idea where the kitchen is, how it looks like, and how food is prepared, the food is served quite clean. Food prices are reasonable although the cost of a first macho drink order is unbelievably high at 720 pesos, with 400 pesos as the price for a single order. 720 pesos is indeed high and the waiters do not inform the customers that for an initial macho drink order, a single drink can be had for 400 pesos a bottle. For 720 pesos for twin drinks, you save 80 pesos. A single drink is absolutely expensive, but what can you do? That is the price. The drinks are costly making you think you are being ripped off especially so that the dancers are not macho and handsome.

Spending two hours at Xanadu is too much and only allows boredom to sit in. So you decide that you have had enough, and you foot the bill, tip the dancer if there is one spending time with you, and go to the rest room before leaving. You may wish to answer the call of nature, thanks to several rounds of drinks, and your presence in the tiled restroom lets you, for the last time, observe the latter unit, which has a slippery floor and is comparable to Club Mankind’s restroom.

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Pretty Boy, another macho dancer bar in Cubao, Quezon City, is at 920 Aurora Boulevard. The building housing it is beside Flying V Gas Station and in front of China Bank Miami Street-Aurora Boulevard branch.

Written by thegonogradresident October 28, 2010 at 7:09 pmPosted in Male Entertainment

TUCKED away on the second floor of a run-down building on Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City, Pretty Boy is a lower-class-oriented macho dancer bar which is famous for the so-called live male-to-male sex shows (or M2M as dancers call such sex actions) and not for boys with pretty or handsome faces. It proudly calls itself Pretty Boy, but its dancers are not pretty boys. The business name is attractive but at the same time deceiving. Why would you call your bar Pretty Boy?

Pretty Boy dancers are generally average looking and unattractive, mostly on the thin/flabby side and are of average height. They appear as though they were plucked from the streets and given a “chance to improve” their lot and make money by dancing before a crowd.

At least in this dreary, unappealing place, there is a pleasant looking guy with a beautiful smile. This young man once worked at a Timog-based macho dancer bar until he thought it wise to move to Pretty Boy to avoid the stiff competition amongst his Timog colleagues. Competition remains high all the time with the good-looking, attractive dancers always having an edge over the non-good-looking ones.

While waiting for customers, the boys can be seen hanging around the entrance area or the exit area. Life is tough for these boys who try their luck to earn a living as dancers. The bar’s location, being associated with danger, does scare away potential customers from outside Cubao.

Pretty Boy is indeed simple but it still manages to attract a large crowd on special nights.

The place only offers some common appetizer items at reasonably low prices. Its drink choices are few with San Miguel Beer Light as the most common ordered beverage.

It is good to know it has sofas in addition to chairs, which sofas are placed around the stage with the chairs and round tables behind them.

The stage is tiny but can still accommodate at least three dancers performing almost simultaneously. The small platform is a living witness to numerous weekly, live gay sex shows and boring nightly erotic dancing.

Interestingly, the cashier’s station is the disk jockey’s booth and “bar” all rolled into one. Beside it is the dressing-cum-show room with a tiny narrow peep-hole for the guest to look through when he wants to select a dancer to join him. Alternatively, the guest can request the floor manager to have all dancers assemble on stage for his consideration and selection.

Facing the dressing room is the restroom whose tiny glass window opens into the street. The poorly lighted toilet area has a small toilet bowl and two urinals flanking the mirror. Only one urinal is in working condition. At least, one is relieved to know there is running water inside with which to wash one’s hands. The doorknob is broken so it is difficult to close the door when you are relieving yourself. So, common sense dictates you avoid touching the knob lest billions of germs may cripple your pet.

It is terribly hot inside the bar, which gives you the impression the air-conditioning system is not in good condition or is not being used to cut down on electricity cost. A stand fan is switched on and positioned in the direction of a guest or guests when there are any at all. When there is just one guest or there are three guests, a stand fan’s supposedly cooling air will do the trick of keeping the place as cool and as comfortable as possible but when the place is empty, ventilation is shut down for obvious reasons.

Pretty Boy is not a pretty macho dancer bar but is perfect for the simple folks with no qualms about the place and what it offers.

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Formerly known as Manila Boyz Club, Prince Galaxy Bar is housed on the second floor of a commercial-residential building at the corner of Ramon Magsaysay Avenue and Ampil Street in Manila’s Sta. Mesa district.

Written by thegonogradresident January 5, 2011 at 4:33 pmPosted in Male Entertainment

WHO would have thought that there is a macho dancer bar amongst the numerous residential units inside a building at the corner of busy Ramon Magsaysay Avenue and Ampil Street in Manila City’s Sta. Mesa district? Several of the bar’s dancers arrogantly claim a cop owns the establishment, which ownership is enough reason for his business to be spared of police crackdowns or even closure for staging nude dance shows.

Formerly known as Club Manila Boy’z Bar and Restaurant, which business name its current receipts still bear, Prince Galaxy Bar is the first unit you see once you reach the second floor of the building which houses it. You would never think that the first door you see from the stairs is that of the small macho dancer bar. To get to the bar, you have to enter the doorway on Ampil side, since the entrance is not on Ramon Magsaysay side. There is always a young man sitting by the doorway and you mistake him for the doorman. When you tell him you are going up to the bar (you have to use the phrase “gay bar” instead of “macho dancer bar”), he quickly leaps to his feet and takes you upstairs. You are escorted upstairs because you do not see a signboard on the second floor telling you where the place is. But the bar displays a business signage on the front of the building and it reads: PRINCE GALAXY BAR, 2ND FLOOR. Just before ushering you inside, the entrance in-charge who sometimes happens to be one of the floor managers or one of the older dancers collects the 200 peso-cover charge, which is surprisingly stiff for a down-market establishment.

The door-boy downstairs “pretends” he does not know the entrance fee, when you ask him and he lets the doorman or doormen upstairs tell you how much it is. One of them escorts you inside, taking you to where you wish to sit. If he introduces himself as Jordan Herrera, then he is one of the managers as he claims he is. He is pushy and unforgiving, constantly bugging you to get a dancer to join you at your table. It seems the word “no” as a response to a query is not in his vocabulary. His actions are enough to tell you that you are “obligated” to table a dancer because you came to his place. That is bullshit!

The bar counter is the first you see as soon as you enter the bar. Opposite the door is the male restroom beside which is the female toilet area.

The two private rooms, which have a single one-way window, flank the tiny wooden stage. Behind the stage is the dressing room. The in-house disk jockey’s station is close to the stage.

The bar uses coffee tables of sorts and steel and plastic chairs on top of two old-looking sofas facing the stage.

Prince Galaxy Bar is indeed small and a bit hot if the six ceiling fans are not switched on. They sort of keep the place as cool as possible.

Most dancers are young and are on the thin/skinny/flabby side with a few gym-toned models complementing the group. They are generally unattractive and only a few are pleasant-looking. Here, their version of an all-cast show involves erotic dancing. They assemble on stage for this purpose if a customer or customers want to choose from among them. Alternatively, the manager servicing the area you are sitting in can bring the dancers to you for your selection.

Prince Galaxy is the acknowledged king when it comes to strip shows because almost all dancers bare everything and let the customers fondle their cocks for a fee.

Doing an area, meaning dancers approach each occupied table for cash in exchange for a grope, is a common practice among the models. They can be pesky, refusing to leave until they get what they want. Only a firm “no” coupled with an angry tone can stop their harassment.

In common with other macho dancer bars, there are transvestite or transsexual impersonators whose job it is to enliven the night. As many as five performers hold skits and lip synch to local songs and those songs popularized by Whitney Houston, Tina Turner and Maria Carey to name a few. Their shows can be funny sometimes.

If you are alone at your table, the managers and dancers think you are lonely and decide that you should get a dancer or dancers to talk to. Dancers are disappointingly insolent, joining you at your table without securing permission and urging you to buy them a couple of drinks. They are no different from their Adonis counterparts.

When not tabled, they hang around the guest area, chatting with one another, observing their colleagues locked in intimate embrace with effeminate guests or having a great time with customers, or busy with phone activities or some games.

Almost all Metro Manila-based macho dancer bars neglect the toilet, focusing more on how to milk dough from customers. Prince Galaxy is one of these establishments. Its toilet is just dirty and reeks of a repulsive smell but the female restroom, which surprisingly can also be used by male customers, looks far more decent.

At around 1AM, the crowd gets thinner and this is probably because some customers are feeling sleepy and exhausted, having been around since mid-evening. In places like Prince Galaxy, you easily get bored as there is nothing else exciting to watch. You decide to leave promising to try to come back some other time, that is, when you still have the gall and interest to visit the place.

Written by thegonogradresident January 6, 2011 at 4:33 pmPosted in Male Entertainment

THE wide building entrance leading up to the bar’s location on the second floor is sandwiched between Villarica Pawnshop and Three (3) J Riza’s RTW Shop. Beside the latter shop is 7-11 Store, which stands right at the corner of P. Burgos Street and Libertad Street.

There is a guy or two manning the wide entrance leading up to the second floor of the concrete building where the gay bar is located. Take several flights up the stairway and you will see a non-smiling, burly looking man sitting behind a small wooden table. He takes the entrance fee payment from both host bar (on the third floor) and gay bar guests. On other nights, a bored looking woman takes over. Solution charges 50 pesos for women and 60 pesos for “bakla” men, meaning transvestites and effeminate guys. The latter entrance fee also applies to transsexuals. If you choose this entrance fee option and you happen to be a truly manly gay guy with no hint of feminine traits, you must be brave enough to say you are “gay”, lest you will be charged 200 pesos for the entrance. 200 pesos applies to straight guys but straight-acting, straight-looking, straight talking gay guys can be mistaken for real men, thus the entrance in-charge man charges them 200 pesos; 250 pesos on big nights (Thursday nights) and special nights.

A knock on the door or a twist of the knob is a cue for another bar employee inside to open the door for the newly arrived guest. An alert manager rushes to meet you, or quickly greets you if he happens to be near the door. He takes you to where you decide to sit. There are several of them, with one tall (by Philippine standards), big, fat guy standing out from amongst them. He looks intimidating but is actually kind of nice and accommodating.

Of course, the exchange of pleasantries follows, with the manager himself joining the patron at his table. Speaking of tables, there are many, making you think you are in a classroom, and they create leg room issues. They are placed in such a manner that they surround the production area, which is the floor itself. There is no stage here.

The bar executive will ask you if you would like to get a dancer to sit with you while the waiter hands you a menu for your consideration. The former can be a headache because of his persistence but the drink and food prices make you smile. The menu items are reasonably priced but you may have doubts about the cleanliness of the food since even the toilet looks downright ugly. Consider this: The toilet has a tiled floor and half of the wall is tiled too; three (3) urinals, one (1) toilet cubicle; one tiny sink with no attached faucet; faucet with running water almost under it; no hand soap available; no hand dryer; no bathroom tissue; wall mirror in the sink area and another one just above a urinal

Most dancers are average looking. One stand-out is Xavier Manahan, of average height and of serious look, but an eye-candy, in some ways. Some say he is the apple of the eye of a noisy transvestite television figure. I spot one who resembles versatile actor Mon Confiado and another who looks like dramatic actor Richard Gutierrez. Or, perhaps I have been groggy from too much alcohol in my system.

Many dancers have bodies which show evidence of fitness training. A few are on the flabby side.

Because of the absence of an elevated platform, production shows are staged right on the floor, just right in front of the designated back stage-cum-holding area.

There is the usual erotic dancing and as well as modeling-type shows. Dancing as an art is not taken seriously by the Solution performers. Majority look bored. Some try to dance, while others simply stand and touch their chest or tummy, or dig into their crotch. Quite simply, the dancers’ performances are unappealing and make an already bored guest even more bored. The most popular dancer, who happens to be a veteran of numerous bikini contests, does not dance or cannot dance at all. But one flabby dancer seems to steal the show with his impressive dance performance which he repeats throughout the entire night. But interestingly, almost all guests, whether they are homosexuals or women, are inclined towards the handsome or good-looking, sexy or gym-toned dancers even if they cannot dance at all.

Unlike at Club Mankind on Scout Ybardolaza Street where dancers who strip naked get an additional 50 pesos from management, Solution’s dancers show their cocks to entice guests to reward them with cash. These very few brave strippers, who approach guests and encourage, if not bug, them to touch their dicks (but rather gently) or lick them, if not suck, for a fee (20 pesos is the acceptable minimum fee), do not get an additional monetary incentive from management.

The so-called monthly “Calendar Boy Pageant”, held in the establishment’s “Hosto Bar” unit on the third floor is an interesting show to look forward to. The winner is called “Calendar Boy” and there is one for each month. Images of successful calendar boys are displayed outside for the patrons’ viewing pleasure.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights are peak nights but many people troop to the bar between 12am and 3am on any given night, making Solutions the most visited macho dancer bar in Metro Manila; the low-priced macho drinks and guest drinks have something to do with this.

Unusually for a macho dancer bar, Solution Disco opens so late, at 11pm, and operates until 7 in the morning.

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The Ermita, Manila-based Valentino Resto Bar is a huge macho dancer establishment on Adriatico Street, just a stone’s throw from upscale Robinson’s Place Ermita.

Written by thegonogradresidentJanuary 7, 2011 at 10:06 amPosted in Male Entertainment

EAST of upscale Robinsons Place Mall in Ermita is found the second largest macho dancer bar in Manila, which establishment goes by the name of Valentino Resto Bar (Apollo 14th in Quiapo district is, by far, the biggest). The only macho dancer bar in the Ermita district, Valentino, as it is commonly known, draws a mixed crowd of locals and some foreigners.

Most customers come in groups with the female patrons outnumbering men who are mostly effeminate.

As soon as you stride in, you would be awed by its sheer size – huge and spacious. The inside of the bar is partially brightly-lit that you can easily recognize the faces of the guests, which is something you cannot do at Adonis where much of the guest area is dark.

When you visit this place, it seems that you are on your own because you cannot expect any of the floor managers to assist you. You are tempted to think they are interested only in rich-looking or moneyed-looking guests, including East Asians (South Koreans for example) or whites. Common sense dictates you seek out a waiter who may be of service. Or, better yet, find the best place yourself and try to enjoy your visit, if you will. The waiters do smile when addressed by their names and appear accommodating.

There are two types of sitting areas here: The main guest area and the “box seats”, which, if you take any of them, will set you back 1,500 pesos while the concealed sitting areas in an elevated platform parallel to the main guest area will cost you 3,000 pesos. The latter areas were created in lieu of the standard private rooms, commonly miscalled as VIP rooms. There are a few customers opting to sit away from the main area – to have some privacy, to have private moments with a dancer, etc.

Macho drink prices are at par with those at Timog area-based macho dancer bars. For example, a single order of a male dancer’s drink can cost you 420 pesos, that is, if you decide to table a dancer. Sometimes, you want to get a dancer to spend time with you so you can get some insights into his work, his life as a macho dancer bar worker, his future as a dancer among other things.

Management allows the models, as the dancers are also called, to hang around the huge hall, but most of the time, they restrict their stay close to the dressing room which faces the main guest area dotted with sofas and small tables.

The stage is indeed high enough and far from those sitting at the far end of the guest area. Those sitting up front are luckier, though. If you fret you cannot have a good glimpse of the performers, fret no more. The Valentino dancers and even transvestite and transsexual impersonators do come down and move along the aisle for the guests to better see them perform close by.

The dancers make it a point to approach customers hoping to get tips but fall short of openly demanding cash rewards. They twist, gyrate, drop on their knees – doing everything to impress the customers. On the other hand, the impersonators, who look terribly shocking in their outfits, are more direct in asking for tip money, with one of them unleashing that familiar Yuletide season greeting “Merry Christmas”, which is understood to mean, he (or shall we say she?) is asking for dough. In the Philippines, the Yuletide season is the season of giving – cash or otherwise.

The transvestite or transsexual impersonators take turns lip syncing to popular foreign and local songs, but their combined performances fall short of impressing some discerning guests. It seems they are getting mediocre each night, unable to improve their skills. They do the same thing over and over again and have not learned how to be creative.

When these macho dancers perform, whether solo, in pair, or in group, you get to have a better view of their bodies, because that is the time they wear only micro mini-shorts or bikinis. It is a chance for you to watch, observe and even study their body frame and built. You get to see well-toned bodies, semi-built physiques, athletic built, thin or skinny and flabby ones. There are indeed well-built Valentino dancers and a few are absolutely good-looking with matching gym-sculpted bodies.

Aside from the macho dancers, there are also guest relations officers (GRO) better known as models whose primary job is to spend time with and entertain customers. They are generally small and on the lean/flabby side. During the modeling segment of the nightly shows, they parade on stage wearing either mini-shorts or bikinis, with some revealing some adipose in the waist area in the process.

There is also a dance group made of young men which provide a momentary relief from the monotonous erotic dance and drag shows.

But Valentino is boring since you cannot find quality entertainment. Your visit is also ruined by the fact that you nearly suffocate inside the restroom which reeks of a disgustingly pungent odor.

You order drinks after drinks – for yourself and for the dancer who does not talk much – just grins and occasional nods. Slowly, boredom sets in and you decide it is time to go.

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Vincent Paradise Bar and Music Lounge is on the third floor of Gallego Building along Mendonza Street (formerly known as Andalucia Street) in Sampaloc, Manila City

The signage of Vincent Paradise

As soon as you exit the tunnel on Quezon Boulevard, you will notice this conspicuous signage of Music Avenue, a comedy bar housed in an old building just meters away from Vincent Paradise

These photographs are the properties of the Gonograd Resident

Vincent Paradise Bar and Music Lounge
3rd floor, Gallego Building, Mendoza Street* (formerly Andalucia Street)
Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines
9pm-4am*(just a few meters away as you come out underneath the Quezon Boulevard-Lerma Street junction; just before Music Avenue; it is not at the back of Far Eastern University; this bar is northeast of Central Market)

Written by thegonogradresident January 8, 2011 at 4:27 pmPosted in Male Entertainment

CRUISING on Mendoza Street, that thoroughfare in Manila’s Sampaloc district along which you will see a portion of the famous Central Market, you will notice a run-down building on the right hand-side of the street next to Music Avenue, an entertainment establishment in a seemingly dangerous location. The structure is Gallego Building which houses a bare-looking, obscure macho dancer bar on the third floor.

Its name is Vincent Paradise Bar and Music Lounge whose business signage is mounted on the front of the building, but which signboard does not appear readable from a distance.

The bar is right in an area which suspiciously teems with thugs of all types and sizes. Indeed, at night the vicinity is deserted except for the occasional wandering persons and homeless folks who pass through the area. The silence is broken by the passing cars and buses. Thanks to the bright lights generated by the electrical posts the area is well-lighted.

The entrance to the building is “guarded” by an enterprising man who operates a makeshift store beside the doorway.

Vincent Paradise is simple and unpretentious and has nothing to brag about. It is new as the fairy floor manager explains. Before Vincent Paradise emerged, there were other bars of similar nature which existed in the same place.

About five or six years ago, the space that Vincent has since taken over used to be occupied by White Swan Entertainment and Comedy Bar. But “the White Swan” did not last long in the industry and died a natural death. Then came Macho King Macho Dancer Bar which became “famous” in 2006, but it too did not survive and folded up. The fading old Macho King signboard is still there. Its replacement was another macho dancer bar, Big J, whose owners tried to position it as an alternative semi-strip bar (not all boys stripped) in this part of Manila. But Big J was not too lucky either and soon became part of the statistics. Then yet another macho dancer establishment entered the scene. This time it was named Boyz Avenue, but the “Avenue and it too suffered the same fate. And now a new macho dancer bar took over the place. It is Vincent Paradise.

But it is no Paradise here.

Inside, you would be surprised to see a sari-sari store-type outlet complete with the usual junk foods, sodas and beer drinks. Wonderful! But this is actually the bar or beverage counter where drinks are prepared by the fat lady tending it.

The area is larger than Hotmen or Prince Galaxy Bar and is dotted with several sofas and plastic chairs. Some extra chairs and tables are piled up in one corner. It is hot inside, reminding you of those Cubao-based macho dancer bars. The stage is high but small. Beside it is the dressing room-cum-holding room. The dancers stay in here or hang around in one corner of the hall.

The toilets are located towards direction of the beverage counter. They are absolutely dirty and smelly. There is no water to wash your hands with. You wonder how these workers manage to stomach the eyesore in their midst. The women’s dressing room or holding room is next to the toilet area.

Out of several small and lean show-boys, one below-average-looking dancer has a semi-toned physique. But this guy is incapable of an interesting conversation, focusing more on the customer’s nature of work, place of residence and favorite hang-outs, which scene only spoils your visit. My companion, who is no-doubt a hottie, and I decide we’ll give this dancer a few hundred peso bills after we leave. At least, he has something to take home after work.

For 580 pesos for double drinks of either San Miguel Beer Light or Coors Beer Light, the macho dancer’s initial order is way too expensive but it is a savings of 20 pesos, because his subsequent orders will cost you 300 pesos a bottle. On the other hand, guest drinks are affordable.

There are no private rooms in this place. Offing a dancer is strictly prohibited, but, no one can stop you from meeting a dancer you fancy after work hours – that is, if you like a particular one.

Solution Disco’s lone impersonator also holds shows here, hoping to double her earnings. But she knows very well she cannot earn enough at Vincent Paradise. There is no huge customer turn-out on weeknights.

The bar may be obscure but it occasionally mounts bikini contests of sorts, drawing enthusiastic crowds from the lower and lower-middle class. As expected, you won’t be entertained here. Vincent Paradise is a down-market establishment offering no “paradise” to customers.

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Paranaque City’s only macho dancer bar, White Bird is on Roxas Boulevard, a major thoroughfare traversing both Manila and Paranaque.

Written by thegonogradresident January 8, 2011 at 4:27 pm Posted in Male Entertainment

THE FAIRY is with the young door-man who sits behind a desk in the entrance area. She introduces herself as “Rosanna Anaconda” in a rather sarcastic fashion and claims to be one of the floor managers. Her remark gives you the impression she is ready to wrap her body around you and devour you cock-first – very much like a constrictor.

We are at White Bird, a large macho dancer bar along Roxas Boulevard in Paranaque City and the only such establishment in this part of Metro Manila.

The guy makes it a point to ask customers if it is their first time because management requires them to deposit any video-recording devices they have with the door-man, and camera phones are the most common items deposited. Taking video footages or photos of the dancers or just about anyone and anything inside is prohibited but on your next visit, you can bring your camera or camera phone inside. This rule puzzles you to no end.

The manager escorts you inside, asks you where you want to sit, or suggests a place for you if the sofas up front are all taken. Once you have sat, she then tells you the price of the sofa you are sitting on, if you have agreed on choosing a sofa. The seats up front will cost you more, and it is probably because of their proximity to the stage. Different seat types have equally different prices, which the bar folks mention only after customers have decided where to stay. This constitutes a clear rip-off but which the bar does not consider as such. By placing price tags on seats, the bar is certain to easily earn more from customers in addition to revenues generated from beverage orders alone.

Briefly she joins you at your table to answer your questions, if you have any at all, and to push you to request a dancer. If you decline to budge an inch for a moment, she frustratingly leaves you hoping that upon her return, you have already made up your mind about tabling a dancer. She is oppressive, depriving a customer of his right to decide for himself.

They say that if a customer at White Bird refuses to table a dancer, the managers and dancers assume he is not moneyed. But a discerning customer knows better than the dough-sucking bar folks, who do not realize that it is such a waste of time and money tabling a White Bird boy who does not sound and look interesting at all.

And speaking of dancers, the White Bird boys are mostly average looking with only a few good-looking dancers. There are buff men and gym-toned boys whose sexy physiques never fail to attract interested customers. There are also those thin, young boys whose unattractive faces put them at a disadvantage, if you know what I mean. Interestingly, one thin dancer used to be a permanent fixture at Apollo 14th Macho Dancer Bar.

When you are at a Philippine male entertainment bar which tries to pass off as a strip bar, you should spend some time inspecting the restroom, which is always the most neglected area of such establishment. The tiled White Bird restroom (in this case, the male toilet), which is equipped with urinals, a wash area, a cubicle and running water, looks clean but is nothing compared to Ginoong Modelo’s restroom or Makisig’s toilet which does not reek of a repulsive odor. The restroom stands next to the large show room-cum-holding room, whose glass window lets customers see, study, and choose the dancers they fancy and want to table. Any customer can come to this room to get a dancer or dancers to join him at his table, or he can choose from amongst the dancers who get on stage for a choreographed dance show.

During your visit, you will find out that the un-tabled dancers must stay in the show-room and are prohibited from venturing into the main guest area unless called upon by any floor manager. In some other similar establishments, dancers’ movements are unrestricted and they can hang around the hall.

Interestingly, the bar has many female customers including East Asian-looking women. Occasionally, you get to see whites in this place.

This Roxas Boulevard-based bar is a dreary and boring place where the usual happenings, that is, strip dance by a few dancers out to collect tip money from the audience, impersonation shows, erotic dancing, and hip hop dancing by a select group of dancers, do not amount to quality entertainment you so long for at a macho dancer bar. Management focuses more on the financial aspect of the business and does not put premium on good entertainment.

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Entrance Fee (Cover Charge): 150 pesos (Note: first-time guests with video recording devices are required to deposit their gadgets with the doorman)First Drink Order (Obligatory twin drinks): 210 pesos Cali Carbonated Drinks and 220 pesos for San Miguel Beer Light; subsequent orders at 105 pesos for a bottle of Cali and 110 for a bottle of San Miguel Beer LightMacho Drink (Male dancer’s drink): 420 pesos per bottleService Charge: 10%Value Added Tax: NoneVIP Room: NoneBar Fine (Off fee): N/A; offing is prohibited (if management finds out that a dancer goes out with a guest, he loses his job)Dancer’s Budget (Work allowance given by the bar owner before the dancer goes home): 200 pesosDancer’s Drink Commission (Cut per drink): 80 pesos per bottle; drink commissions are given out every SaturdayATW Incentive (ATW is all-the-way dancing or nude dancing): It is not clear whether management grants incentives to dancers who strip; what is clear, though, is these strippers do earn tip money when they approach the audienceTipping: Tipping is your right as a customer and it is good to know you do not feel any pressure to tip the waiter who waits at your tablePeak nights: Friday, Saturday and even Sunday nightsBig night: Saturday night

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4 comments

I went to white bird last night for the first time. When I entered the lobby they immediately informed me of the entrance fee. And they assisted me inside the bar. So far the floor manager is accommodating and “she” explained about the price of each sitting area which is the minimum amount of order or bill that the guest will cost him/her for the visit. They have tags on the sofas for the minimum amount.

Most of the MD’s are fair skin with some who are moreno. I’m just unlucky because I was not able to “table” the MD i am eyeing for coz every time there is an “all cast” someone would have taken him first before me. But I caught him near the restroom and gave him a tip. And he told me that he is eyeing for me since the start of the show (i went 9pm but the show starts 930pm), but i doubt.

I was surprised coz there’s plenty of women (age in their middle 40’s to early 50’s) coming in groups. And still they are the one who are so noisy and loud compared to the gays and discreet gays in groups. There were two women from different groups, both celebrating their birthday, which i think are regular customers of these two MD’s. Both MD’s after their solo performance gave their customer a bouquet of flowers.

In general, i would say that i had a satisfactory experience so far. The entrance fee now is 200, the obligatory twin drinks is 220. The male dancer’s drink, that is if you tabled a dancer, is 500. A customer can give a drink to whoever MD’s he/she likes.

Good evening from here or good day wherever you are right now. I appreciate your visiting the site and sharing your White Bird experience and I apologize for the delayed response.

Everything you said was and is true in so far as female guests and drink price go.

Just remember this: when you are there, everything you see is viewed as a commodity, which may disappoint some first-time clients.

Despite the rates, I personally think the bar has the most number of eye-candy dancers these days, compared to its competitors. It’s a disappointment, though, when you cannot get a guy you fancy to keep you company.

You mentioned about tipping “your target stripper” in the most unusual place of all, that is, the toilet area. That reminded me of the same thing I did years ago. Giving tip money away from the prying eyes of the managers and other staff is a wise move, if you know what I mean. Being discreet when it comes to tipping is one piece of advice readers must learn and practice, if only for the sake of the macho dancer.

It is good to know you had a great time at White Bird and I take it to mean you will be going back there.

I was at Solutions Disco Bar last Saturday and was not disappointed of the entertainment they offer. I went there alone around 12 AM and I was accompanied by DIon (an MD) on the table. He is quite short, actually really short because I stand 5’10, but he has the most appealing physique of all the dancers. He has smooth skin and can carry a decent conversation. He is a PT (personal trainer) in a gym as a day-time job as to what he has told me. The other dancers are quite impressive as well, most especially their line up of ATW (all the way) dancers. One particular guy that caught my eyes is Joshua. He has the biggest c*ck, both in terms of length and girth, that I have seen. He is no longer in his prime, quite passed the age of being desirable for his trade. But his big-friend-near-his-belt still makes him a bankable MD.

The price for the MD drinks is quite expensive for PhP 350.00 per bottle, the entrance fee is quite affordable though for PhP120.00. The floor manager, Mommy Archie as what they call him, will make sure that you enjoy your stay by introducing his pet boys and asking you if you are still having fun.

All in all, Solutions is a friendly neighborhood macho dancing bar that is worth a visit even if you are alone. Your PhP 3,000 budget will get you a long way 🙂

I appreciate your taking the time to share your strip club experience with this journal. It’s good to know you had a satisfying visit to Solutions. This information you have provided will be helpful to others planning to go that popular male entertainment bar.